Dana Krueger

Before I was ever a part of the Washington, DC Theatre community, I was an audience member, and one of it's biggest fans.
I first saw Dana Krueger in The Women at Arena Stage in January of 1999. A very good friend of mine who had recently graduated from Shenandoah University was working on the wardrobe crew, and had a comp ticket that she offered me. I was back from winter break, and I can't recall if classes had started back up yet at Shenandoah, where I was still attending, but I loved the film, and there was no way that I was going to miss the chance to see it live on stage. From the moment the show began, till the curtain call, I was enraptured. The cast list of actresses in the show was a who's who of DC actresses, plus many from New York, as well. That wasn't the last time that I saw the show. I couldn't stay away, it turned out.  I saw it several more times, and even hung out backstage sometimes with Kristina, watching the actresses come and go in any number of amazing period costumes.
Outside the entrance to the Fichandler stage, where The Women was playing, there were two green rooms, and two benches in the hallway. Dana played Mrs. Moorehead, mother of the main character in the show, Mary. She has several scenes, but her most important one was the one she has after she learns that Mary has found out that her husband has cheated on her. She visits her daughter to give her motherly advice, and to tell her that she went through the same thing with her own husband. She advises her to "Keep still...keep still when you're fairly aching to move." The several times that I was backstage at The Women, that's just what I watched Dana do. She would come to the bench in the hallway and sit by herself.  She would lower her head, and concentrate on the scene that she was about to do. I was struck by her poise and concentration. When she heard whatever cue that signaled that it was time for her to take her place in the wings, she got up, and entered the wings, focused and calm.
The next time I saw Dana was later that year, in the fall. She played the Beggar Woman in Signature Theatre's 1999 production of Sweeney Todd. This show was really the show that made me say, "Forget New York, I wanna do shows here!" Again, my friend Kristina got me tickets to a matinee and I was blown away.  I recognized Dana's name in the program and saw that she was the beggar woman, and I couldn't believe that the regal woman who played Mrs. Moorehead was this ravenous, insane mess of rags that was twitching around the stage.  The cast was having a pot luck in between shows on the Sunday that I saw it, and Kristina and I joined them in the lobby.
I noticed a lady curl up with a blanket on the floor under one of the tables set up with food in the lobby. I gestured to Kristina and said..."Is she really curling up under a table on the floor?"
"Yeah," Kristina said, "she seems really method."

A brochure from the 200-2001 season.  Dana is on the far left.  Tracy Olivera is far right.

The next time that I saw Dana Krueger, it was in the same rehearsal room that I was in.  I moved to DC in 2000, and was cast in Gypsy at Signature Theatre. I guess I didn't screw it up too bad, because I was cast in Grand Hotel there in 2001. It was here that I walked into the rehearsal room and saw that Dana was also in the show. I spent most of the rehearsal process being intimidated by her. Not that she said anything to intimidate me, mind you, she was just a powerful and concentrated presence in a room. As rehearsals went on, we started working on a long montage sequence where a scene took place downstage, and the ensemble did a charleston that was all in two rows, and very stylized. Dana asked for a broom to use in this scene, as there was no way in hell anyone was going to ask her to charleston with the ensemble. She started sweeping the floor in between rows of dancers. Eric and Karma liked it, and kept it. As the run went on, she began hitting all of the ensembles feet with the broom as she swept by.  Not hard, just enough to let us know she was there, screwing with us. For many of us, it was the first contact that we had had with her, and we couldn't help but laugh under our breath.
This was the first time that I was introduced to her snake, as well. One day during tech, she gestured for me to come to her.  I had never spoken to her privately, so I was quite scared at what in the world she was going to say to me. She spoke in hushed tones and said, "Go take a look in the pot of the stage right plant." Confused, I quickly agreed to go check.  I looked in and saw a small black rubber snake. Baffled, I went back to her and told her what I saw.  "It's mine. He comes with me in every show and goes somewhere on the set."
Show people are full of odd little rituals because we work in the medium of variables. We strive to make so much of this fluid work of art the same every night. Whatever begins a show ritual can become a career ritual as well, if we have learned that doing a certain thing ensured a good performance. The snake was a ritual for Dana.
During the rehearsal process of the show, she also asked for a cigarette as a prop in one scene. She proceeded to steal the scene that she had nothing to do with, as the head maid, other than to be in the background.  She sat in a chair and smoked slowly and decadently. We started noticing what she was doing, and we were all in tears of laughter.
That cast went through a lot together. A little over two weeks into the run of the show was 9/11. The performance was cancelled that night, but we returned the next night, and a discussion night was already on the books.  They proceeded with the discussion, and what ensued was a very cathartic, rage filled, moving performance of the show.  The audience and the cast were both grateful that the show went on that night.  It was much needed medicine.
While Dana wasn't in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Signature, my next connection with her came about during the run of that show. Our house burnt down on morning during the run of the show. If I had never really felt what Signature's "family" meant yet, I did that day. Eric took us into his house for a place to stay, and the cast of Forum and staff of the theatre collected money for us to put towards a new place. They also brought donations of just household kind of things; plates, sheets, etc. We were beyond moved, and truly felt blessed, as we still do, to be a part of that wonderful family.
Soon after the fire, I began rehearsals for the next show at Signature, which was Allegro. Dana was indeed in that show, and one of the very first rehearsals, she brought us the most luxurious and comfy feather duvet. We had never had such fancy bedding, and were beyond moved that she had thought to give it to us. That was Dana, though.
To the right we see (left to right): Carl Randolph, April Harr Blandin, Dana Krueger, Eric Thompson, Evan Casey, Lauren Williams, and Tracy Olivera. 
Below we see her illustrious bio in the Allegro program, but the first sentence is the one that encompasses her wit perfectly.

She was smashing in Allegro, as to be expected, and cracked all of us up when her character died. When anyone died in the show, they reappeared on the third raised level of the stage wearing all black. In tech, she came out in a devastating dress and hat (the show on a Helen Hayes Award for Gregg Barnes' costume design.), and proceeded to sit on the floor and smoke a cigarette wile looking down at the action happening onstage and shaking her head disgustedly.

My Fair Lady closed the old garage space that we had grown up in at Signature. Dana was a regal and formidable Mrs. Higgins to Andrew Long's Professor Higgins. Her health took a bad turn during the run of this show, and she had to leave the show for about two weeks. She returned, and she and I began a tradition that I have written about on this blog before.  But it just occurred to me that same quiet poise that she had when I first saw her backstage at Arena Stage, was exactly how she would wait for the curtain call backstage during My Fair Lady. Sitting in her chair, (she always had a chair waiting for her backstage, and you better not be sitting in it), she and I began pantomiming new ways that Eliza would murder Higgins after he asks her where the devil his slippers are. Full story HERE.
The last time that I shared the stage with Dana in the garage was by far the most memorable to me. The Last Garage Hurrah cabaret featured a company of six Signature regulars, (myself, Will Gartshore, Harry Winter, Donna Migliaccio, Tracy Olivera, and Eleasha Gamble). There were different guest performers on different nights. Dana was a guest performer and sang the title song from the musical, Wings, which she starred in at Signature in 1994. It was a breathtaking performance that still makes me weep when I watch it. Her character is describing what she sees as she is dying.  I took a video of a dvd that I have of that night's performance and posted it when Dana passed. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Her interpretation of that song and character are unparalleled.
The last time that I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Dana was the opening of Signature's new theatre, with Into the Woods in 2007. Dana played both Cinderella's mother in the tree, and Little Red's Grandmother. For whatever reason, we didn't spend that much time together backstage on that show.  Sometimes there are shows where your backstage and onstage paths rarely cross. This was one of them for the two of us. I was never to share the stage with her again after that show closed.

The last time that I saw Dana was when she performed a comically dirty version of "One More Kiss" from Follies at the Summer Hummer, a fundraiser for the Taking Care of Our Own fund. I saw her perform this for real in the 2003 production of Follies at Signature, and it was beyond gorgeous. Here at the Summer Hummer, the lyrics were changed by her own pen from "One more kiss before we part" to, "One more piss before we fart." This only went to show how easy it was for her to make you sob or laugh till you sobbed. The concentration and laser accuracy that she delivered everything on stage with are qualities that I still strive for every day.  I now try to compose myself in a similar manner to her before I make an entrance on a stage.
The day after I found out that she passed, I found this on my station at Avenue Q. It made me cry, but also made me very happy.  The snake went on the set of Avenue Q immediately. Shortly after, Sunday in the Park with George opened at Signature, and Donna took the snake on loan. It has appeared every night in Sunday in the Park since. I imagine that various numbers of us will pass this snake around from show to show in the future to honor her spirit.

Today was her memorial service at Signature. It was a beautiful service, complete with classical music, opera, and musical theatre. It was filled with touching and funny remembrances of her life and career. I saw some folks that I hadn't seen for many years today in the lobby. Though we don't always see each other as often as we used to, we enjoy the times that we do.
I woke up this morning and before I got out of bed, I was thinking about the fact that I was really about to go sing at Dana's memorial.  That it really was happening.  Then I looked down and saw that I was laying on top of the duvet that she gave us. As I have every night since she gave it to us.
After the service, there was food and drink in the lobby, and before you knew it, the crowd for the sold out matinee of Sunday in the Park with George started coming into the lobby and theatre, and the party started dissipating. Much like the moving, live work of art that theatre is, the memorial's moment was done. It was time for the next show. One can't help but see the comparison to life there. I left the theatre and started to get upset. As I was about to enter the parking garage, piano movers were wheeling out the grand piano that was rented for the memorial service.  There it was, all wrapped up and being carried away by a team of men. As soon as it passed, I walked past a young pair of parents with their toddler, who pointed at it. The mother said, "Yes, that's a piano! It makes music! There it goes - wave goodbye!".

Goodbye, Dana. We will never forget you.
xoxoSGS

Catch Up Blog #2

After not that much sleep, it was the morning of June 10th! My Wedding day! I could hardly believe it was finally here.  Matt and I spent months working around the clock on the decorations, the music, the theatricality of the ceremony, etc. All of the decorations were loaded in the night before by a wonderful group of friends that helped us get everything up. All that we had to do on the day of the wedding was to have breakfast with my family, then go to the theatre for final decoration preparation, then a final rehearsal before the cocktail hour started.
The breakfast was a good idea, since I really didn't get to eat much that whole day. It was also so wonderful to get to actually spend time with and see my family.  The breakfast was at Luna Grill and Diner, Matt's former restaurant that he used to manage.
When we arrived there, the restaurant had put up balloons and flowers for our wedding breakfast with the family.  This was really incredible of them, and until Mom sent me these photos, I had forgotten that detail. So everyone go eat at Luna Grill and Diner in Shirlington.  They are great people. Here are some photos from the Wedding Breakfast...

 Here are some shots of me and Matt with various family members, including my brother and his wife and their children, Tessa and Ian,  my Aunt Gloria, and her friend, Larry, and my Aunt Val and Uncle Tom. I think that I ate half of my breakfast, as my stomach was starting to get upset. While I was enjoying having breakfast, I was starting to feel like I was running out of time to get things done in time. I took the remains of my breakfast with me, in case I had time to eat it for lunch (which I believe I did, if memory serves at all), and headed over to the theatre, with my family in tow.

 After sizing up what needed to be done, I got to work, with help from my family, as they wandered through our half finished "carnival" in awe.  They couldn't believe what we had done so far. It really was a sight to behold, when I think back on the many months of midnight crafting in our living room, and to see all of this and know that WE did it ourselves.  It was a satisfying feeling. Amy McWilliams had designed and sewed together these fabric panels of different black and white materials.  I went from thrift shop to thrift shop looking for any sheets or curtains that I could buy for this purpose. She took all of these pieces and made these sweeping fabric panels that we hung to give a "big top" feel.  Amy's work was impeccable, and I can't thank her enough! My brother and I helped secure these, as they started falling a bit due to the air conditioning blowing on them. As we worked on these banners, Tessa and Ian had fun pretending to be rock stars on the

mini stage in the lobby, that we dubbed "The Sideshow".  They rocked the afternoon away as we continued our decorations prep.

 The Oceana Group provided the most elegant and exquisite flowers. Here are two of the arrangements...

 Ian and Tessa made their way over to the House of Horros, but decided that it wasn't that scary in the daylight.

 I made sure that all of the Ballyhoo flags were secured in place, as they were the first things that guests would see as they entered...these were made with felt, dowel rods, a wooden ball on top, gold spray paint, wire hangers, ribbon, and much patience.

 At the top of the stairs, there was a gift table, and a ticket booth. The take home gifts were these little brown mystery grab bags that were everywhere as you came into the theatre.

 As we finished our decoration prep, it was time to go and rehearse, and for other members of the family to go and take a nap before the festivities were to begin...

  Coming Soon - The 7PM Cocktails and Sideshow!
xoxoSGS

CRASS COMMERCIAL CATCH UP

Hey everyone - 

Thanks for stopping by my little place in cyberspace. I haven't updated in awhile because I got married, and then went into rehearsals for a show.

I will be catching anyone who cares up in my catch up posts (see catch up #1 below) - a sort of serial style version of what happened at the wedding, and since (so I don't have to write it all in one post). But in the meantime, we must acknowledge the present and future!

I am currently in Miss Saigon at Signature Theatre, which runs through September 29th (just extended). I am in the ensemble, and was also Assistant Choreographer.  Here are some shots from the show, courtesy of Chris Mueller.

If you have not secured your tickets yet, I would do so ASAP.  The show is selling out like crazy. The cast is fantastic, and I am having a great time doing it.  It is an exhausting show, however. When you aren't on stage, you are changing clothes for the next time you come on. But to be a part of this epic show is a dream come true, and I am so grateful to be a part of this incredible cast.

Our musical, Night of the Living Dead is going to have its regional premiere in St. Louis this fall, at New Line Theatre. It runs October 10th to November 2nd. I am thrilled to see how it goes, and excited to see it having life since it's first full production last year.

I am involved in several other productions later this year and next, but I can't say what they are yet, because they haven't released the full casts yet, so ....details to follow. 

So in the meantime, come see Miss Saigon - it is not to be missed - TICKETS HERE.

If you want more info on New Line Theatre in St. Louis, check it out HERE.

Thanks for reading, and I will continue to update as we go through the run of Miss Saigon.

xoxoSGS

naked - a cabaret

Come check out my latest cabaret this Friday at 9pm at Signature Theatre! Featuring music by The Indigo Girls, The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Adele, The Civil Wars, Cheap Trick, and Paula Abdul.  Yes, that's right, Paula Abdul! Check us out!!!
xoxoSGS

TEXAS HAS A WHORE HOUSE IN IT!

Playbill Online has released the cast list of Signature's upcoming production of WHOREHOUSE.
Read the article HERE!

NEXT UP!

Catch me and Matt in Whorehouse at Signature this August! I will be playing the Scandanavian football player. :) www.signature-theatre.org

Get you tickets now!!!

Brother Russia!

Hey there, blog! It's been awhile! I have not had much time to put anything on here this year so far, as it has been a BUSY year! I went right from Hairspray into Brother Russia at Signature Theatre and have not had time to come up for air until recently. I expect that when the show closes (April 16th) that you will hear more from me on this blog. Much to share and talk about, including the fact that Matt and I have moved back to Fairlington into a lovely townhouse that we are in love with! Buddha is also in love with his new palace, and we all enjoy being back in the "neighborhood".

If you have not seen Brother Russia yet, come and check us out. I play an actor in this traveling troupe named Sergei, but Sergei plays "Prince Felix Yusupov" in the story of Rasputin - and Prince Felix was ever so interesting in real life. Was known to sometimes wear women's clothing, and was reportedly not the nicest person you'd want to meet. Here is a portrait of Prince Felix:

We should have had Buddha make a cameo in the show. And then below this is a photo of myself as Prince Felix. He is quite fun, even if his choice of footwear can be taxing. I do enjoy the costume -the coat is amazing, as is the hat. So do drop by and visit Felix and his friends at The Winter Palace. We will be rocking it out Russian style till April 16th!

It's HAIRSPRAY!!!

Tonight is the Final Dress Rehearsal for Hairspray at Signature Theatre! I can't even believe that it is November, let alone that we start official previews of Hairspray tomorrow! Where does all the time go? I feel like we were just doing Boy Detective!

The show is going to be really amazing, everyone. Everyone in it is giving their all, and it shows!

Here are some photos of some of us in our 60's get up:

Below we have Erin Gardiner and myself as Amber Von Tussle and Corny Collins.

And below we have Sherri Lynn Edelen Simpson and Erin Gardiner and Velma and Amber Von Tussle!

We start previews tomorrow, and if you don't have tickets now, I would get them soon while they still have some!

More pictures and details to follow!

xoxosgs

FRIDAY NIGHT- SECOND ANNUAL SHIRLINGTON ZOMBIE WALK!

Friday night the 28th, get ready for the second annual Shirlington Zombie walk. Bar will be open at 7, come on by for some Happy Hour specials on drinks and food, and get zombified in the lobby! Bring your own zombie make-up, and one of our zombie experts will give you tips, if you need them. Then the walk begins! We walk the Shirlington Strip, then return to Signature's "Club Blue" for a zombie dance party!

Respond to the Facebook invite HERE.

4 Performances of Boy Detective Fails left!

We close on Sunday matinee, everyone. You have 4 more chances to see this amazing show. And no, I don't water ski in it, but I should.

Shows tonight, Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday at 2pm.

Hope to see you there.

xoxosgs

The Boy Detective Fails Trailer!

AMVP Rep at Signature Theatre - NOW PLAYING!

For the first time in known theatrical history, Signature Theatre is offering two world premiere musicals running in rep with each other. One is called The Hollow, with music and lyrics by Matt Conner, and book by Hunter Foster. The other is called The Boy Detective Fails, with music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, book by Joe Meno.

I have the honor of portraying the title role in The Boy Detective Fails, and my partner, Matt wrote the music and lyrics to The Hollow. So, as you can imagine, this rep is of some great importance in our household.

Both of these pieces are very cutting edge and challenge the viewer in many different ways. Not all people will like being challenged, and some will prefer that their evening ends wrapped up in a nice and neat bow. But if theatre that makes you think, talk to friends, and have heated discussions is your cup of tea, then what are you waiting for? Plan your trip now!

Listen to what people are saying: THE HOLLOW

"...a dark gem...entirely engrossing and deeply powerful..."

-

Theatremania

"sing all

the power of

myth, Foster and Conner effectively address the negative effects bigotry and small-mindedness have on a community. Through their

characters, story and music, they have created a dynamic new legend in "The Hollow," a valid contribution to the cause of the new American musical, a cause to which Signature Theatre is firmly dedicated."

- Washington Examiner

"Henriette Van Brunt,

played with voracious self-righteousness by Sherri Edelen, one of the show’s vocal powerhouses, who whips her contemporaries up into a frenzy against Crane."

- Washingtonian

Also with both shows, it seems that everyone is seeing 2 different things...

"The music too often doesn’t

illumine the characters

very well or move the story along with conviction."

- Roy Maurer -

DCtheatrescene

"...But those characters have all been transformed in the

musical, fleshed out and made to illuminate even more clearly

than the original..In addition, Conner's music and lyrics move the action of the musical along."

- Barbara Mackay - Washington Examiner

Come decide

for yourself!

"Captivating...Spellbinding...Perfect"- MD Theatre Guide

"the story’s tragic resolution, with many questions still left unanswered, proves more unsettling than the thought of a ghostly figure and his horse with glowing red eyes."

- Washingtonian

"The Hollow shares some of the ambiance of Conner's previous musical,Nevermore, but

here, some of the lyrics are unadorned, while others blossom into an eerie dimension, sometimes carried by wafts of classical-sounding music. The effect is almost unremittingly hypnotic...Director Matthew Gardiner harnesses his cast's energies, allowing them a measured, deliberate energy at first that suggests there is vast power

being held at bay. When the force is finally released, it explodes in psychological violence. Yes, The Hollow is a horror show, but it's the horrors found within us which

do the scaring here, not monsters or special effects."

- Theatremania.com

THE BOY DETECTIVE FAILS

community."

ton Examiner

"Smith is onstage almost nonstop for 2 1/2 hours, and his singing is superb every .

"The thread that does hold things together, to the extent the material allows, is Billy himself. Stephen Gregory Smith achieves what every actor aspires to, but few can do consistently: he makes us believe, completely , that he IS the person who he’s portraying. It’s that simple, and it’s that complex. Smith is that boy."

- Kyle Osborne - EntertainmentorDie.com
"Smith is mostly fine, exploring an odd character who is both high-strung and tense, yet engaging. However, he occasionally strays into cartoon territory -- which director Joe Calarco should rein in." - Theatremania

COME AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF!

"Though "Boy Detective" is based on a book,

what makes the show successful is that

it's not a singular vision. There is a clear meeting

of minds: everything from

the acting to the music to the precise

choreography hits the same perfect

one-two note of sadness and joy, that

weird melancholy of childhood

spinning into adulthood.

"Boy Detective" never just hands you the story,

but requires you to assemble it

clue by clue. As a result, what would

otherwise be just a sweet bildungsroman

becomes instead something much more moving

and complex as we confront

with Billy the maddening riddle of growing up."

- BrightestYoungThings.com

- actually - that entire review is written so well

and is so insightful that you

should probably go to their website and

read the whole thing HERE.

There is also another commentary piece from "AskMissA" over HERE.

In closing, these are two incredibly young and

spunky children who were just

birthed over at the Signature Theatre.

They have quite the journey ahead of them,

and I highly reccomend that you come and see them!

There are student tickets available -

read about that HERE.

""As brought to life by director Joe Calarco,

Smith gives a winning performance as Billy,

with a shuffling posture and shyness that vividly

demonstrate the dislocation of a child trapped in

a man's body. "

- TalkinBroadway.com

Contact the box office at 703-820-9771 or at Signature's website.

And ps, sorry I haven't written on here in awhile,

but my computer has crashed

and burned, and in addition,

I've had my hands full,

as you can see. I promise

to get back on here more this fall, as Matt and I

have many things up our collective

sleeves to tell you about! xoxosgs